Did the playoffs feel real?

[TheDizee]

I am curious as to how you all think. I am not talking at all about the play of the team. I just want to see how many people felt like these games felt like actual playoff games.

For me, the entire time felt like early preseason and then October hockey. The only time I felt like it was playoff time was when I watched other teams, mainly the Columbus/Toronto series and the 5OT game.

The whole goal horns and stuff for both teams is dumb, delaying games till the following day because the prior games went too long etc, it does not feel like a postseason to me.

Click to read more...

 

[mk80]

Too me it felt like a cross between an IIHF tournament and a Stadium Series game. No knock on the NHL at all, as I do think they've had the best presentation of any of the return to play formats. There is definitely an element missing without the crowds actually in the arenas.

 

[simon IC]

I thought the NHL did the best they could, so kudos to them. But it really felt more like a tournament to me than the SC playoffs.

 

[BlueKnight]

I thought the NHL the best they could given the circumstances. My hats off to them. But to me it felt more like an IIHF tournament than the SC plsyoffs.

 

[Metallo]

I thought the NHL the best they could given the circumstances. My hats off to them. But to me it felt more like an IIHF tournament than the SC plsyoffs.

Are you simon IC’s clone?

 

[jura]

1st round exit feels real

 

[Note Worthy]

To me it’s just not the SC playoffs without the crowds. Nothing against the NHL, they did great with what they could.

 

[Hank Hull]

I don't feel nearly as upset about last night as I normally would, so in that regard, it doesn't feel "real" to me. Whether it's because we got our Cup last year, the global pandemic, or something else, I was just thankful to be watching Blues hockey and didn't really care how it turned out.

That being said, I still feel that whoever wins this tournament is a legitimate champion. I won't be using anyone's performance in the bubble as a barometer of future success, but you can't say that the winner didn't do it fair and square.

 

[simon IC]

Are you simon IC’s clone?

Vollie27 is a regular poster on our subforum whom I respect and admire. We sometimes disagree, but in this instance, we agree. I do not understand why you felt compelled to call this poster out.

 

[Metallo]

Vollie27 is a regular poster on our subforum whom I respect and admire. We sometimes disagree, but in this instance, we agree. I do not understand why you felt compelled to call this poster out.

Don’t you find posting almost the exact same post (same opinion, same structure, almost same words) right under your post 10 minutes after kinda odd and hilarious?

I did.

 

[AjaxManifesto]

3 weeks of hockey in August with the Cup on the line and no fans.

2020 is an odd year, but this was real.

The Blues were probably the LEAST prepared of the bubble teams I saw. Others figured out the bubble and are hungry to win the cup. The Blues seemed disinterested in defending the cup. Very strange.

They need to do some soul searching.

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

I am curious as to how you all think. I am not talking at all about the play of the team. I just want to see how many people felt like these games felt like actual playoff games.

For me, the entire time felt like early preseason and then October hockey. The only time I felt like it was playoff time was when I watched other teams, mainly the Columbus/Toronto series and the 5OT game.

The whole goal horns and stuff for both teams is dumb, delaying games till the following day because the prior games went too long etc, it does not feel like a postseason to me.

Yeah, it’s real. And to those saying it feels like a tournament, the Stanley Cup Playoffs ARE a tournament.

Other series have had more intensity. Boston-Carolina was great. I think it’s just the Blues who don’t seem real. I’m not sure how goalies were supposed to stay sharp through the pandemic, and be ready to play at their best in elimination games. But some guys managed it. Binnington didn’t. Just like he fed confidence and swagger to the Blues last year, this time around he fed doubt and the team play faltered. They were missing some of the heart and soul guys like Steen, Barbashev, and yes Tarasenko. I think Maroon’s contribution is even more noticeable when you watch what he’s doing on Tampa now. He would have been a help (but I don’t see how he fit on the roster unless you left no room for Kyrou).

I’m not laying it all on Binnington, but the team didn’t have enough of a depth advantage with all the guys out to overcome subpar goaltending. Vancouver was 7th in the West in the regular season. They’re not going to look so strong almost immediately when Vegas beats them easily. But yes, these are real playoffs and other series have looked the part.

 

[SaintLouHaintBlue]

Well, if they award the Stanley cup then it's real.
But there's something about the combination of the long break, no fans in the stadium, and the round robin to reseed that makes the whole thing feel like the winter Olympics (or IIHF, as was mentioned), with NHL teams.
The players put in legitimate effort, in that too, and it's a real tournament. There's just kind of a weird stand-alone vibe that makes it seem so.. different, even though the winner will be an actual Stanley cup champion.

*

 

[Stlblue50]

August hockey after a break that was longer than a typical offseason, in front of no fans? F no that did not feel like playoff hockey. I haven’t been able to watch more then 5 minutes of any other game before I lose interest. Normally I watch every game I can, especially in the 1st round.

That being said, I love the Blues and I was into this series with Vancouver. This doesn’t sting as much as a normal loss but it certainly pisses me off to see them lose to a weak team like Vancouver. Rousell and their team full of floppers gave me slight flashbacks to the Burrows/Bieska days.

 

[Captain Creampuff]

I don’t know how 15 of you can look someone straight in the face and say that felt like playoff hockey. It was as entertaining as an IIHF tournament. How can you say it felt like real playoff games with no crowd and playing in a city where the team isn’t even in the playoffs? I respect the NHL for trying, but it never felt like real playoff games. Just felt like hockey games that were played to make up for missing the actual season.

 

[TK 421]

2020 doesn't feel real period, this playoffs is just one example of that.

 

[Itsnotatrap]

Doesn’t feel the same, not even particularly close, but it’s the best we could get. The play itself, generally speaking (not the Blues directly), is at a higher level than I expected it to be. My passion about it is way lower than it would have been in April. I guess ultimately that’s a good thing, since they got bounced. I’ll still likely watch most of the rest of the games.

 

[SaintLouHaintBlue]

I think the answer to this question lies in another question, would it be more fulfilling to see your favorite team win this year, or a regular playoff year where the path to victory involves home/away crowd energy being part of the equation, Charles Glenn last year, drunk as hull, crowded watch parties at the arena, Laila Anderson (in the stands), Gloria, etc.

The winner of this does get crowned a champion, so there's that.. but...

 

[ManyIdeas]

It's hockey and the cup is being rewarded at the end of this. I think they could have done better with the home/away stuff, but if that is going to bother the players and get them out of their element then too bad.

 

[Davimir Tarablad]

Feels a lot like the start of lockout shortened season to me. There’s the urgency from not having a lot of games to figure it out, but you’re not seeing teams at their best because they just got back from what was a full offseason essentially.

 

[hullderko]

No playoff intensity at all. Felt like game 6 of the regular season. Series was lost when they blew up in game 5.

 

[Mike Liut]

It felt like pre-season games to me. Sports are stupid without fans. No atmosphere

 

[Bobby Orrtuzzo]

Whether it felt real or not, it was and we lost to a lower team and it sucks

 

[DeuceNine]

The Lightning will take it, and they were due IMO. That said, and this has nothing to do with our performance, it felt like it was an "OK let's get this thing over with so we can move on" type of deal. Even TB didn't seem as thrilled, or maybe that was me projecting.

 

[Stlblue50]

The Lightning will take it, and they were due IMO. That said, and this has nothing to do with our performance, it felt like it was an "OK let's get this thing over with so we can move on" type of deal. Even TB didn't seem as thrilled, or maybe that was me projecting.

It did feel like an awkward celebration but that’s too be expected. You didn’t see one Tampa player with the same emotions as most Blues players when they raised the cup or it was brought out.

Im sure most of the excitement was the fact they won AND were done living in a hotel and bubble for the last 2+ months.....oh and they had a boat parade to look forward to. I’m sure that was some hidden motivation that other teams didn’t have.

Outside of Tampa and maybe FLA, what would have other teams have done for their celebration? I’m curious because most wouldn’t have even been able to have the awkward 15% capacity football stadium speeches.